Jenna Ortega in “Miller’s Girl”.Photo:Zac Popik/Lionsgate
Zac Popik/Lionsgate
The intimacy coordinator onJenna OrtegaandMartin Freeman’s new movie is speaking out after some viewers took issue with their sex scene because of the “large age gap between the actors.”
“As lines blur and their lives intertwine, professor and protégé must confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their individual sense of purpose and the things they hold most dear.”
After some people on social media expressed shock and concern about a sex scene between Ortega, 21, and Freeman, 52, theMiller’s Girlintimacy coordinator, Kristina Arjona, assured in a new interview that the costars were “comfortable” when filming and depicting the dynamics of the subject matter.
“There [were] many, many people throughout this process engaging with [Jenna] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do,” Arjonatold The Daily Mail.
Martin Freeman in “Miller’s Girl”.Zac Popik/Lionsgate
“Part of my job too is supporting her decisions. I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors,” added Arjona. “I’m hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed.”
“And, again, making sure — especially with someone who’s significantly younger — that they are giving continuous consent,” she added.
Reps for Ortega and Freeman did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Arjona explained that the actors talked about the “level of nudity” and “additional barriers” when filming the sequences. Plus, they had “the option on the day to change their mind if they don’t want to do any of the elements that we’ve discussed.”
In August, Freeman toldColliderabout working with Ortega, calling her “amazing.”
“She’s extremely talented, super smart, great to work with and very, very wise beyond her years,” theBlack Pantheractor said. “That was a real pleasure. The whole experience of shooting that was lovely. It was a nice little five to six weeks in Georgia. It was a lovely summer and fall, for a story that I really believed in.”
Courtesy of Lionsgate
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He recalled thinking theMiller’s Girlscreenplay was a “gutsy” script, one that is also admittedly “very uncomfortable.”
“There are things in it which are not cut and dry, and not black and white. Certainly there are conversations around it, at the moment and over the last several years, particularly,” said Freeman. “It comes into a world where those conversations are being had, slightly from left field, and says, ‘Yes, what about this?’ It’s interesting.”
source: people.com
